Mistletoe by Lyn Gardner Read Free Book Online

to laugh. “What in the world is all of this?”
    “I was just doodling.”
    “I’ve known you for almost thirty years, and have worked with you for nearly five, and in all of that time, you have never once doodled .”
    Tickled by Linda’s motherly tone, Jamie asked, “How do you know? I could be a closet doodler.”
    “You’re not a closet anything, and who’s Diana?”
    “What?”
    “Diana,” Linda said, pointing to the papers in her hand. “You’ve scribbled it a hundred times, along with what appears to be a…” Taking a moment to decipher Jamie’s artistry, Linda said, “What is this? Holly?”
    “No, mistletoe.”
    “Mistletoe?”
    “Yes, mistle—” Stopping when she saw the befuddled look on Linda’s face, Jamie began to laugh. Rocking back in her chair, she ran her fingers through her hair. “Christ, I’m acting like a goddamn teenager.”
    “What’s going on? I’ve never known you to be so distracted at work, and I don’t care what you say, you don’t doodle.”
    “Can we please drop the doodling subject? It’s becoming annoying,” Jamie asked with a grin.
    Chuckling, Linda nodded her head and sat down in one of the chairs opposite Jamie’s desk. “Okay, out with it. What’s got you so bothered that you doo…um… draw on freshly printed contracts?”
    Jamie took a deep breath, and letting it out slowly, she said, “I met a woman.”
    “Oh, I see, and I’m assuming that her name is Diana?” Linda said, glancing at the papers in her hand.
    “Yes. Diana Clarke,” Jamie replied.
    “I met her at Phelan’s party on—”
    “Jamie, pardon me for interrupting, but you can do much better than those bimbos who date his clients.”
    “She’s not one of those. She came with Gwen Fowler.”
    “Wait…that doesn’t make sense.
    Gwen Fowler is straight, Jamie. She’s got a husband.”
    “I know, but he was out of town, so Diana came along as company.”
    “And let me guess, you spent the entire evening talking to her.”
    “No, it was less than fifteen minutes.”
    “Fifteen minutes?” Linda said.
    Puzzled, she returned her attention to the scribbles Jamie had drawn on the contract. Biting her lip in order to prevent the widest smile she owned from appearing on her face, Linda said, “That may very well be a record for falling in love, I think.”
    “Love?” Jamie blurted. “Who said anything about love?”
    “You did,” Linda said, holding up the top page so Jamie could see it.
    “Unless I’m mistaken, Valentine’s Day is in February. Therefore, the only explanation for all these hearts and arrows you’ve drawn amidst this field of mistletoe is love, unless, of course, you’re thinking of getting into the greeting card business.”
    Knowing that Linda knew her better than she knew herself half the time, Jamie shook her head. “I don’t suppose there’s any point in denying this, is there?”
    “Not a one,” Linda said, knowingly.
    “Do you want to talk about it?”
    “There’s not that much to say. I met her. We had a drink, and we talked for a few minutes. That’s all.”
    “But?”
    With a sigh, Jamie said, “I can’t get her out of my head, Linda. I can’t. I’ve tried. Lord knows, I’ve tried, but it’s no use. She’s there to stay.”
    “So why do you sound so unhappy? I would think you’d be over-the-top ecstatic about meeting the woman of your dreams.”
    “I would be, if I hadn’t been an ass and fucked it up.”
    Cocking her head to the side, Linda asked, “Care to explain?”
    “Phelan was drunk out of his mind, and when Diana was about to leave, he stopped her at the door. There was some mistletoe hanging over it, and he wouldn’t let her pass until she kissed him, so I stepped in and…and did the deed.”
    “And she was offended?”
    “Actually, I don’t know,” Jamie said quietly, thinking back to when the kiss had ended. “She didn’t say a word. She just walked out of the house without even a glance in my